Chapter 21

Page Twenty-One.

Does he love me? Will he ever? I feel like a fool dancing in the light of the moon, with the sun burnt into my back when I'm near them. Dawn…he watches. He watches until any light within him turns into hate.

I'm curled up in a chair in the living room when Ruelle and Hettie come into the room. I'm surprised to see them so early in the morning. In fact, I've barely seen any of the Moon Dynasty since the end of the seventh test, and I've given up trying to find them in this place where nearly all of the doors are locked. I eat alone now, back in my room, and I don't have it in me to argue with that. Hettie is in a dark dress, the black dress made of tiny flowers, and I can't help but wonder if it would look prettier in a more colourful shade than black. Her blonde hair is what makes me smile. She has braided the front of her hair across her head, hanging down on her left side just like mine.

"Are you sad?" Hettie questions from the door. Ruelle waits at her side, her hands clasped together on her walking stick. "Grandmother said you might be sad, so I'm not going to come here to annoy and upset you."

"You could never, Hettie." I playfully widen my arms. "I'm happy and I would love your company."

Hettie grins so brightly and her smile reminds me of Daegan now I know who she really is. It's hard to think she could be anyone else. Hettie looks up at Ruelle. "See, told you so."

"Yes, you were right. Do not get used to it; the young always make some mistakes." She taps Hettie's nose before looking at me. "We were reading an interesting book, and Hettie told me how much you love books and how you might like to listen to this one. May we join you?"

"I would love that." I put down my own book on defence moves as Hettie runs in, and she sits on my lap. Ruelle takes the chair opposite us, and soon the only noise is the flickering embers. The smoky scent of the room is comforting, along with Hettie's hug as Ruelle wastes no time digging into her book. "This book is a fairy tale, something none of us knows if it's true or not. I must tell you that from the beginning, as you might fear the world after reading my tale."

"How scary," Hettie murmurs under her breath.

Ruelle reads fast and quick, like she has read this book a million times. "This story is about a prince of the Dawn Dynasty, born years past. His father, the king, was very sick. It was a surprise when the prince was born, a miracle baby and an heir at last. He slowly became the only one left in the Dawn Dynasty line, and he had to make sure it continued. Long ago, the Dawn Dynasty was trusted with the protection of two books. The books were written by magical beings foreign to this world, and the Dawn king was warned they must never be opened. One was silver, one was gold. Twins in everything but their contents and colour. They were claimed to be written by beings older than the deities themselves."

"How interesting." I lean forward. I've never heard anything like this, yet it's familiar. It reminds me of some of the pages in the weird book Daegan gave me.

"He took the books, which should never have been opened, for himself. The vow that the Dawn Dynasty took when they acquired the books was long gone in his mind. His wife warned him not to open them, but he was very determined that they had to be opened because neither one of them had an heir, and an heir was needed to continue on in peace. Without an heir, the Dawn Dynasty would fail and die. He opened the books to find a cure for his wife's infertility, but he did not want to risk her life. He loved her dearly, and so, in the choice of not risking her life, he used the magic on himself. A dark twisted spell, and it turned him into the first vampyre ever known to our world." My mouth is dry as I listen. "There was once a fae prince who read every book known to the world. He was a fae who loved to read, and it cost him too much. When he was done, he used the dark magics of the ancient books he found to make the first vampyre. He turned himself immortal so that he may never die, and he conquered the world from the dragon riders in five days."

"Is that true? Five days?" I question.

"Our history tells us it was over quickly, so parts of this tale might be true," Ruelle agrees. "I will continue on. The vampyres not only bred their immortality, but he used their magic to make thousands of them overnight, until he had an unstoppable army. There came a price. After a while, it became obvious that he could not make any more vampyres, and his wife, who ran from him, had taken the books and disappeared."

"His wife had stolen the books?" Hettie asks. "What a twist! He did all of that for her and she left him!"

"Maybe she didn't want to be transformed," I muse. "This is why I love reading. It tells you stories that you would never hear otherwise."

Ruelle nods. "Anyone who believes a book isn't the most powerful weapon in the world is a complete fool." She glances at Hettie. "One of the lessons I repeatedly tell this one over here who doesn't like to read."

My mouth pops open. "You don't like to read, Hettie?"

She shrugs. "I get a bit bored."

The bell rings, echoing throughout the corridors, marking the next hour. "I've got to get to the library for work, but I'd love to see you soon."

"She will find you, no doubt," Ruelle says as we both climb up off the chair. Hettie hugs me tight before running off, and Ruelle sighs. "You looked so sad when you first got here. I don't know exactly what happened, but I recognise grief. Now you're grieving a dragon you've never met. I'm sorry. The dragons' logic can never be completely understood by us. They are immortal creatures who have lived in this world long before fae ever existed." She walks away and looks back. "I really did think you'd come out to be one of the best dragon riders yet."

I smile faintly at her. "But I won't. It's okay."

"It's not," Ruelle replies as she walks away. I shake my head, waiting a few moments to calm down and make sure I don't cry before I leave the Moon Dynasty apartment, nodding at the two guards. When I get closer to the dragon in the centre, I pause when I overhear arguing. I recognise Ziven. "I don't agree anymore."

Daegan's reply is swift and almost sarcastic. "Why?" He laughs once. "Oh, don't tell me you've actually… You were always the weak one of the pair of us, and look where that has kept us for all these years! Our people come first. Don't tell me you've forgotten that."

I hear someone slam something into a wall. Maybe a person. Ziven's tone is unyielding and bitter. "I have never fucking forgotten that, but this isn't the right way."

"It's the only way!" Daegan growls back. "Just look the other way and don't get involved. You should have done that last time with our siblings and?—"

"You're fucking dead," Ziven answers, and I don't doubt him for a second. My heart bangs in my chest as I step out of the corridor to interrupt them. Silver fire explodes out of Ziven, bursting in every direction, and I'm immediately caught in the silver fire. A wave of fire lands straight in my chest like a whip, and I go flying back, slamming into the wall as I scream in pain.

"Story!" Daegan shouts, running over. I wince as he picks me up into his arms and holds me against my chest. "You're a fucking monster, King Ziven!"

I look at Ziven through the pain, through the dark dots clouding my vision. It's the first time I've ever seen him look different…guilty. "Storm, I didn't mean?—"

"This is why you're a monster and why you should stay down in these apartments. Story, not Storm—that's not her name—will not be coming back here again." Daegan carries me away before Ziven can say anything at all to that. He won't say anything. He wanted me gone anyway. "I'll get you to a healer. I'm sorry that he did that to you. I love you, Story, and I will make sure no one hurts you again."

I'm glad I pass out, because I don't know what I'd ever say back to him as my mind stays with the Moon Dynasty king.